scholarly journals Land Use Land Cover Changes and Their Impact on the Lake Ecosystem of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Author(s):  
Eyasu Elias ◽  
Weldemariam Seifu Gessesew ◽  
Bereket Tesfaye ◽  
Wondewosen Girmay

LULC changes are major environmental challenges in many parts of the world which are adversely affecting ecosystem services. This study was aimed to analyze LULC changes in the ecological landscape of Ethiopia CRV areas from 1985 to 2015. Satellite images were accessed and pre-processing and classification is done. Major LULC types were detected and change analysis was executed. Nine LULC changes were successfully evaluated. The classification result revealed that in 1985, 44.34% of the land was covered with small scale farming followed by mixed cultivated/acacia (21.89%), open woodland (11.96%), and water bodies (9.77%). Whereas for the same study year open grazing land, forest, degraded savannah and settlements accounted the smallest proportion. Though the area varied among land use classes, the trend of share occupied by the LULC types in the study area remained the same in 1995 and 2015. Increase in small and large scale farming, settlements and mixed cultivation/acacia while a decrease in water bodies, forest, and open woodlands is noted. About 86.11% of the land showed major changes in land use/cover. Lastly, DPSIR framework analysis was done and integrated land use and development planning and policy reform are suggested for sustainable land use planning and management.

Author(s):  
Jane J. Aggrey ◽  
Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽  
Kwabena O. Asubonteng

AbstractArtisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana’s Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Elizabeth Heron-Monk

Cemetery grounds and sustainable land use practice are rarely used in conjunction however natural burial grounds present opportunities to leverage the land use and environmental challenges associated with conventional cemeteries for the benefit of people and the environment. This paper explores land use planning challenges facing Ontario in planning for the disposal of our dead and the emergence of natural burial grounds as a sustainable alternative to conventional burial. This paper also explores how planning challenges related to planning for the disposal of our dead could be leveraged to produce positive outcomes; in particular the strengthening of Ontario's Greenbelt as a living landscape. This paper argues the Natural burial has potential to be a value added land resource and can mitigate a series of burial related land use challenges currently present in Ontario.


Author(s):  
Verónica Iñiguez-Gallardo ◽  
Renato Serrano-Barbecho ◽  
Fabián René Reyes Bueno

La regulación de uso del suelo es un continuo debate en el proceso de planificación territorial, sobre todo en Ecuador, donde la agricultura a pequeña escala es uno de los pilares de la economía familiar para un amplio porcentaje de habitantes del sector rural. Por esta razón, identificar las variables requeridas para mantener la actividad agrícola es una necesidad y obligación. El objetivo principal de este artículo es identificar las variables espaciales que inciden sobre la probabilidad de mantener la actividad agrícola, de acuerdo con las expectativas de la gente y las características del territorio. Para ello, se comparan datos de percepción de los pobladores sobre variables tales como superficie predial, distancia a carretera, a canales de riego y a mercados, con datos espaciales de estas mismas variables. El área de estudio es la Parroquia Chuquiribamba, perteneciente al cantón Loja, al sur del Ecuador, por ser una de las principales fuentes agrícolas del sector. Los resultados sugieren convergencias entre las percepciones de la gente y las variables espaciales necesarias para asegurar la actividad agrícola, así como divergencias respecto a la normativa que regula el tamaño mínimo predial.  Abstract Land-use regulation is an ongoing debate in the process of land-use planning. This is particularly true for a country such as Ecuador, where small-scale agriculture is one of the pillars of the family economy for a large percentage of inhabitants of the rural sector.  In this context, identifying the necessary variables for ensuring agricultural activities is a need and an obligation. The main objective of this article is to identify the spatial variables that affect the probability of maintaining agricultural activity, according to the expectations of the people and the characteristics of the territory. We compare data regarding the perceptions of the people of variables such as parcel size, road, irrigation and market proximity, with spatial data of the same variables. The area of study is the Chuquiribamba Parish, located in Canton Loja, in southern Ecuador. We selected it due to its agricultural importance in the Canton. The results suggest convergences between the perceptions of the people and the spatial variables necessary to safeguard agriculture, as well as divergences with the normative regulating the minimum parcel-size. 


Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha T. N. Huynh ◽  
Lisa A. Lobry de Bruyn ◽  
Brian R. Wilson ◽  
Oliver G. G. Knox

Local soil knowledge (LSK) has been recognised for its importance in sustainable soil management and agroecosystems. This paper examines peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents on LSK during 2003–2018. Research continues to be geographically focused on developing countries, but often in collaboration with researchers from developed countries. There were five key research themes: soil classification and agreement between local and scientific soil knowledge (Theme 1), value of LSK for soil management and decision-making (Theme 2), scientific approach to the incorporation of LSK (Theme 3), application of LSK for identification of and solutions to soil problems (Theme 4) and factors influencing soil knowledge development (Theme 5). Although Theme 1 continued to be a prevalent research area, confirming the importance of visible and topsoil characteristics identified by farmers, examining subsurface soil properties has garnered less research. For LSK to be thoroughly documented requires support by a pluralistic scientific assessment and greater incorporation of social science methodologies. An overarching finding from Themes 2–4 was the importance of designing national programs that incorporate LSK derived from local people and other stakeholders (e.g. scientists and policymakers) to conserve soils. Local soil maps, using LSK terminology, could broaden the appeal and use of maps by local stakeholders to support sustainable land-use planning from the field to national policy-making processes. Finally, cultural and political aspects, known to influence LSK, should be given greater consideration in further research to sustain and develop this knowledge (Theme 5).


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